Why Should I Anneal?

[Nick Caprinolo]

I have been reloading ammo for many years but have never annealed my brass. I have reloaded the same 50 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor 41 times without annealing. They still look great, but since I am re-barrling it, due to chamber erosion, I decided to toss the old and start a new batch. I reload for many other rifles and pistols, using the same brass over and over again. The only time I have had any brass go bad is for my AR rifles. Usually a split at neck. What is the advantage of annealing?

 

[mikecr]

I believe the advantage, aside from alleviating issues (if you have them), or preps for a major case form change, is reducing neck tension and therefore variance of neck tension. This is tied to how well you do it, and of course finding good results through load development with your chosen annealed condition.
If running a cartridge that likes high neck neck tension, with bullets off the lands, then constant annealing may not be the best plan..

I use low chamber clearances, minimal sizing, measure every seating force, and rarely re-anneal beyond initial fire forming preps. Just don't have to, and don't care to change anything about my load performance.
But some folks really have no choice, and some have chosen right up front to always do it.
I'm sure there have been many records shot from no annealing through compulsive excess.

 

[oldduc]

Here's a whole herd of dead horses. Flog away!
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/search/41041568/?q=brass+annealing&o=relevance

 

[C. Collins]

I am not trying to be rude. Take what you want from the statement below. Good luck, and have fun.

"If you think it matters, then it matters."

 

[jepp2]

What is the advantage of annealing?

The more you work your brass, the more you work harden it. So if your aren't working your brass much:
necks - expand during firing, sizing dies reduce the case neck OD, then expand the ID.
shoulders - expand during firing, sizing dies set the shoulder back during full length sizing

I shoot no-turn necks and only set the shoulder back ~0.001" from where it would contact the bolt face. I anneal every 5'th firing. Reduces the likelihood for case neck splits, and keeps my shoulder bump during sizing more consistent.

 

[Homerange]

Annealing is only relevant to the caliber you use, how hard you push it and the dies you use.
When using LCD's and knowing how to get the best from them minimizes any need to anneal from the much less working of brass.
I don't anneal for my sporting rifles and don't have case or neck failures.

 

[onelastshot]

If you're not having problems with the brass hardening or split necks, I suggest that you continue doing what you've been doing; if it's not broken don't fix it. Needless to say getting 41 reloads from the same brass is excellent, I'd continue using the same process you've been using and forget annealing.

 

[Ccrider]

41 times seems like a lots. I have had cases that will not neck size down due to hardening. These were used with the gun when I bought the gun so I do not know how many times they had been fired. Annealed them and they size down now.

This tells me that there is a change in the brass induced by firing and corrected to some degree by annealing. It also tells me that the number of firings should be monitored and brass kept on the same cycle.

Just my thoughts based on my limited experience.

 

[CharlieNC]

I ran into extremely variable bullet seating force, which was resolved once I started annealing. Fast and easy, I do it every other loading cycle now.

 

[Puzzaz01]

I think you're going to get 50/50 mixed views on this subject. Some do and some wont, Ive tried it in the past and stopped annealing. Who knows maybe I was not doing something right.

Darrin

 

[Richard Coody]

I have been reloading ammo for many years but have never annealed my brass. I have reloaded the same 50 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor 41 times without annealing. They still look great, but since I am re-barrling it, due to chamber erosion, I decided to toss the old and start a new batch. I reload for many other rifles and pistols, using the same brass over and over again. The only time I have had any brass go bad is for my AR rifles. Usually a split at neck. What is the advantage of annealing?

why start now? if what you are doing is working stick with it.

i have been reloading 40+ years.

just recently, last 5 years, started playing with benchrest rifles and precision reloading. i have tried everything i have read about. spent a boatload of money finding out what works for me. i did find it is much easier to keep consistent neck tension annealing every time. but then you have the PPC shooters who never anneal and certainly consistently outshoot me.

whatever works for you.

 

[dcali]

Lots of people don’t anneal because they don’t have a suitable answer to this question. I’m one of them. I’m still have yet to experience a problem that annealing solves, which is not to say they don’t exist. I just don’t have those problems. If I start playing with wildcats that need aggressive forming, I’m sure I’ll change my mind.

The emphasis that this forum puts on annealing is way out of proportion to the utility, in my opinion.

 

[R.Morehouse]

When you size your brass it work hardens which makes it different than it was. When annealing with the new type induction equipment i believe it brings my brass to a consistent state. That gives me confidence that i have done something good to make my ammo more uniform in it's construction.......The key words in what i have said are...believe & confidence....Much of what you do will be working around these words and i believe will make you a better shooter....

Best Regards
Rick

 

[Puzzaz01]

That gives me confidence that i have done something good to make my ammo more uniform in it's construction.......The key words in what i have said are...believe & confidence....Much of what you do will be working around these words and i believe will make you a better shooter....

Very well put.
This has to be the absolute best response to should I anneal! Confidence and the ability to believe in your finished product. Everyone has their own beliefs or disbelief about annealing but Mr Morehouse hit that nail right in the head.

Darrin

 

[Homerange]

When you size your brass it work hardens which makes it different than it was. When annealing with the new type induction equipment i believe it brings my brass to a consistent state. That gives me confidence that i have done something good to make my ammo more uniform in it's construction.......The key words in what i have said are...believe & confidence....Much of what you do will be working around these words and i believe will make you a better shooter....

Best Regards
Rick

And how you size your brass determines how quickly it work hardens and the frequency of any annealing required.

 

[spencerhenry]

41 loadings seems like perhaps a bit of a stretch.

 

[dmoran]

41 loadings seems like perhaps a bit of a stretch.

All depends on the circumstances and configurations of the brass, chamber, dies used.
While I will agree, in most circumstances, the chamber will not compliment the new brass specifications to a minimal stretch, allowing for to much stretch to occur, resulting in less brass life capability.

But with a chamber that only lets brass stretch minimally from it's new state, with die configurations that compliment both those aspects, one can expect exceptional and extended brass life, primarily do to elastic memory gains. 40-firings is easily believable to me, when all the configuration circumstances are held to a minimal amount, and the loads used are not excessive of the brass limits.

 

[BenPerfected]

Besides annealing there are likely 10+ steps you could do to your brass that might add to accuracy. Seems to me, you can test to you are tired and out of $ or just spend the time reloading & do all the steps that you believe might add to accuracy.
I love this sport,
Ben

 

[Nick_Mansfield]

Someone said “if it works for you then do it, if not then quit doing it.” Consistency is the key no matter how you look at it. No sense reinventing the wheel. I know guys that ultrasonic, tumble, spit shine, hand polish every piece of brass and guys that drag it through the mud, drop it in the floor, etc...and at the end of the day it all comes down to the driver of the rig on the sled...

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

I fully realize that 41 reloads is a stretch. If someone had told me they did this I would be hard pressed to believe it myself.

But I keep very careful records on each gun I shoot and especially the number of rounds that I shoot in them.

When I bought this rifle, I bought 50 rounds of Hornady factory loads and have used the same factory cases since then. Just bought a fresh batch of the same loads and will start anew with a new barrel.

I want to thank everyone for their input. From the answers I got today, I think I will just keep on doing what I have been. I was going to spends a ton of money on an annealer. Now I can spend that money on something else.